Another look at namespaces

[Arjun Ray]

On Fri, 17 Sep 1999, Tim Berners-Lee wrote:

> The namespace spec had its work cut out finding a syntax for
> declaring and use name prefixes.

This is simply not true.  The namespace spec had its work cut out to find
some form of face-saving phraseology to rubberstamp a syntactic device
that external parties had already decided that they kinda sorta liked,
and therefore have it they would, and therefore have it they must.

In terms of meeting requirements, as they were defined and continually
redefined, (I'm reminded of the sage Carvaka's apophthegm "neti, neti,
neti" - not this, not this, not this) alternate proposals involving no new
syntax were put forward, only to be "rejected" in favor of more and more
alleged factors "constraining the solution".

Personally, I think publishing the now-defunct XML SIG's archives would
afford eye-openers to many people, and quite possibly shorten the debates.
At the least, people could see "why" alternate proposals were dismissed,
and thus sharpen their insight into what this Namespace maguffin is
apparently all about.

All IMHO, of course.


Arjun



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